Public case informationLast updated

Borrower Defense Student Loan Settlement

U.S. Department of Education · Federal student loans and borrower-defense loan-discharge applications · Settlement Reached

About this case

Borrowers alleged that the U.S. Department of Education improperly delayed or rejected borrower-defense applications involving claims that colleges misrepresented employment prospects, credit transferability, or post-graduation earnings. The matter reached a settlement in 2022, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a July 17 ruling rejecting the department’s request for additional time to process remaining claims; the settlement has generated more than $23 billion in loan discharges and refunds.

Case overview

Defendant company
U.S. Department of Education
Product or service
Federal student loans and borrower-defense loan-discharge applications
Case status
Settlement Reached
Lawsuit type
Consumer
Reported harm
Misrepresentation

Participation information

2022 Borrower-Defense Claim Submission Window

The settlement allowed additional borrowers to submit borrower-defense claims during a designated 2022 window concerning alleged misconduct by educational institutions.

The article does not provide current claim-submission instructions.

Type
Settlement Claim
Status
Closed
Payout
Potential loan discharges or refunds under the settlement terms.
Reported proof requirement
Unclear

Automatic Loan Relief for Covered Borrowers

The settlement provides for automatic loan relief for borrowers who attended institutions included on the settlement’s covered list, as described in the article.

The article states that relief is to be provided automatically and does not identify an action required from covered borrowers.

Type
Other
Status
No action required
Payout
Loan forgiveness and related refunds under the settlement.
Reported proof requirement
No

Sources